Reality Augmented: The Side Opposite of Virtual Reality
An Overview on the Current State of AR and it's work to push and be pulled by VR's advancements
TRENDS
With the state of progress on new AR and VR Glasses/Headsets, it seems like both are now working to answer the same question: How much immersion is enough for the thing everyone will be using?
The Standard of VR
What seems to be the determining factor for where AR will go is how VR is decisively showcased by Companies competing for a share of the VR Space. Besides headsets, which seems to be the chosen form for VR moving forward by Apple and Meta, VR might have taken spaces elsewhere such as in 3D web development or applications that showcase interfaces for VR implementation. As a result, this may move AR in a more concentrated platform from the various uses AR has been used in. On one end, its further development may produce a lot more for the AR space and solidify new use cases that can help benefit many industries. On the other end, Its focus on becoming like VR might hinder any other ability AR could have outside of trying to create accessible immersion.
Wearable AR
While it is nothing new to require glasses or a headset to utilize AR in detail oriented work, AR has had many accessible applications over the phone or on the web. plenty of packages from Unity or Unreal Engine allow the possibility of creating interactive media that remains open enough to develop for any industry. Older tools for VR/AR Development become available to developers to create their own forms of AR usage. Google Cardboard has packages open to developers making use of their cameras for 360 Immersion within the applications they develop (I made one for a garage of my car models). With that said, questions will arise on what exactly can get past on during this race for fully immersive/accessible technology where anyone can engage with the space. When work is concentrated on the newest line of headsets, how much could that takeaway from the possibility of seeing AR tools being implemented with newer phones?
Reality Augmented in Real Time
There is now a market where digital experiences can continually advance and that immersion itself could become its own industry. As more focus is put towards standardizing the immersion space, whether it's Meta or Apple that does it, it is unclear what extent of Innovation would be left open for alternative implementations of AR technology. It will be interesting to see further developments in what is decided to be the normal for joining into the digital space and what sort of incentives there will be for participating in the space.